Aeroplane.



E F. GALLAUDET.

' AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILE[ APR-4.1914.

1,200,098. Patented Oct. 3,1916

M Inventor:

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EDSON IE. GALLAUDET, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

Annornann.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 9on3, 1216.

Application filed April 4, 1914. SeriaINo. 829,471.

of the aeroplane type, and more particu Early to the construction of the outer end portions of the wings or main sustaining planes of such machines.

In a prior application, filed July 25, 1913,

Serial No. 781,089, I have shown and de-' scribed a wing structure in which movable tips are so mounted upon the flexible outer ends of the wings and operatively connected that the tip on one side can be extended and that on the other side simultaneously withdrawn to produce differential changes both in the area and the center of pressure of the wings on opposite sides of the machine.

One object of my present inventionis to increase the eficiency of the tips, by changes intheir construction, sufiiciently torender them capable of maintaining the lateral balance of the machine without the supplemental action of flexible outer wing portions, and another object is to simplify the construction and especially the connection between the tips and the outer ends of the wings.

To this end the invention comprlses certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure IS a plan view of a monoplane flying machine, with a part of the outer covering of one of the wings broken away, illustrating in combination the several features of my invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 are sections of a tlp on the line 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, of

l teferring to the drawings, the machine comprises, as its principal parts, a body vB, with the usualfixed tail planes F F, hinged elevating planes E E, and rudder R, and, suitably mounted thereon, the wlngs W W, with the movable tips '1 T. c

As here illustrated, the framework of each wing W W comprises two tubular transverse spars 1 and 2, connected at their outer ends by adiagonal brace 3, a series of preferably curved fore and aft ribs 4, and front and rear edge pieces 5 and 8. The edge pieces extend parallel to each other at the inner ends of the wings and then are preferably bent so as to incline toward each other at a slight angle, white the front edge piece is further bent near the outer end of the wing, so as to incline rearwardiy' at a somewhat greater angle. This framework is covered above and below (the lower surface not shown) with the usual or any suitable surfacing material 7 for the greater portion of its len h and, preferably at its outer end, with a uminum or other thin light metallic plates 8 which are stiffened by outer .fore and aft. ribs 9 and marginal rib 10, forming a wing structure which tapers toward its outer end and fore and aft is convex above and slightly concave below.

The tips T and T are suitably framed and covered above and below (the lower surface not shown), preferably with metallic plates 11 of aluminum at their inner ends and at their outer ends with the usual surface covcring 12. They are more or less triangular in shape and are curved from front to rear to form a convex upper surface and a slightly concave lower surface (see Fig. 3) and also upwardly, or are inclined upwardly at an angle, from near their inner to their puter en s (see Fig. 2). These tips are pivotally mounted, one at the end of each wing, between the stifiened surface plates of the wings, upon suitable bearings 13, provided therefor at the outer ends of the rear transverse spars 2, to swing forward and back in the plane of the wings; and they are connected, as by pivoted links 14, with any suitable mechanism (not shown) by which the operator can, from his seat within the body of the machine, simultaneously cause them to swing in opposite directions, one outwardly and forwardly and the other rearwardly and inwardly.

The advantages oftips constructed and operatively mounted as described will readily be understood by those skilled in the art. The swinging forward of the tip on one side of the machine will, without changing the area or the angle of incidence of the wing surface, increase the lifting power of the under surface of that tip, both by reason of its movement outwardly so that it acts on a longer lever arm and thereby shifts the center of pressure toward that side and because this movement brings its concave lower surface into a position where it be comes efiicient, and decrease the depressing effect of its curved or inclined upper surface-while the simultaneous withdrawal. of the tip on the other side of the machine will similarly decrease the lifting power of its under surface'and increase the depressing eiieet of its upper surface. Furthermore, when. in flight the machine tilts laterall3 and commences to sidcslip, the tip of the depressed wing, especially if extended, will present a positive angle of incidence in the direction which the machine is slipping while the tip of the other wing will present a negative angle of incidence the same direction, thereby instantly righting the ma chine and checking the slipping movement.

While l have shown and described my in-- vention in the form which l. now consider the best for its embodiment, it will. be understood that it can be variously modified in its several details, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the. spirit or sacrificing the advantages thereof,

What I claim. as new, and desire to sc-. cure b j Letters Patent, is

1. In a dying machine, a wing structure comprising a main. wing tapering roan wa'rdly at its outer end which is trained and. covered above and below, at outer end with metallic plates, and a tapering tip which is framedcovered above and be low and which at its inner end, covered with metallic plates, is pivoted. between, the covering at the tapering outer end of the wing to form a movable extension thereof.

2. In a flying machine, a wing structure comprising a main wing tapering rearwardly at its outer end which is framed and covered above and below, at its outer end with thin metallic plates strengthened with. fore and aft ribs on their outer surfaces, and a tapering tip which is framed. and covered above and below and which at its inner end, covered with thin. metallic plates,

is pivoted between the strengthened covering plates at thetapering outer end'of the wing to form a movable extension thereof,

3. In a flying machine, a wing structure comprising a main wingwhich in fore and aft section is convex above and concave below and has a tapering outer end. coveredabove and below with metallic plates and, pivoted to the outer end of the wing: to

swing between its covering plates, a tapering 1 and concave below and has the outer portion of its front edge rearwardly inclined to form a tapering outer end and, pivotally mo at its inner end to the outer end of the wing between the upper and lower surface coven ings, a framed and. covered tapering tip which. fore and aft section is convex above and concave below and is curved upward at its outer end.

5, In. a flying machine, a wing structure comprising a framed and covered wing which in fore and aft section is convert above and concave below and has the outer: portion. of its front edge reaiwvardly inclined to form a tapering outer end and, pivoted to swing between the upper and lower coves ing and forming at all times a substantially unbroken extension of the outer end of the wing, a framed and covered tapering tip which in fore and aft section is convex above and concave below and is upwardly inclined at its outer end and which is adapted to swing outward and forward until. its front edge is substantially in line with. the in clined portion. of the front edge of the wing and. backward and rearward until outer end is substantially behind its inner I 6.. In. flying machine, a wing structure comprising a framed and covered having a tapered outer end and a tapering tip which isupwardly inclined at its outer end and centrally of its inner end pivotally mounted between the upper and. lower surface coverings at the end of the wiiifg e" i which. constitutes a substantially unbrol ntension of the tapered outer end oil lull? wing.

7, In a flying machine, a wing strt comprising a tramedand covered wing ing a, tapered outer end and a tapering which. is upwardly inclined at its outer e and centrally of its inner end. is pivo-tally mounted. between. the upper and lower sur face coverings at the outer end of the and which, normally held in intermediate position, is adapted to swing forward. until its front and rear edges are substantially in line with the tapering outer portions of the front and rear edges of the wing and baclo ward until its outer end is substantially be hind its pivoted inner end.

8. In a flying machine, a pair of which are mounted on opposite sides thcreoi and are covered above and below at their outer ends with metallic plates, tips which are upwardly inclined. at their outer ends and at their inner ends are pivotally mounted between the upper and lower covering plates at the outer ends of the wings and. which, normally held in intermediate position, are adapted to swing forward until. they are substantially in line with the outer ends of the wings and backward until their outer ends are substantially behind their pivoted irner ends, and means for siniultanc position.

9. In a flying machine, a pair of wings, mounted on opposite sides thereof, which at their outer ends are tapered rearwardly and covered above and below with metallic plates, tapering tips which are upwardly inclined at their outer ends and centrally of their inner ends are pivotally mounted between the upper and lower covering plates at the outer ends of the wings and which, normally held in intermediate position, are

adapted to swing forwa rduntil their front and rear edges are substantially in line with 1;

the tapering outer portions of the front and rear edges of the wing and backward until their outer ends are substantially behind their pivoted inner ends, and means for 1 simultaneously swinging the tips of the two 20 wings in opposite directions to a'ndjfrom normal position.

v EDSON F. GALLAUDET. In presence "of 7 MAY FREVERT, 7 WM. B. WHITNEY. 

